I have been to countless summits and conferences on climate change, sustainable development and environmental policy in Asia in the past several years. Presenters, including me, often share findings from scientific research, show intricate charts and offer better ways forward while pointing to the risks of doing nothing - rising sea levels, deforestation, land degradation. What is often missing - and what has become so painfully clear in these past few days since Typhoon Haiyan tore through the central Philippines - is that what we're really talking about is people.

Climate change is about people. It's about livelihoods that are affected and sometimes destroyed when severe weather ravages the land they depend on for income. It's about displacement when they are then forced to leave home in search of a better life in communities that do not have the capacity to absorb them. And it's about survival in areas that do not have the infrastructure in place to withstand extreme weather.

Understanding this is what has launched Nadarev Saño, chief representative of the Philippines at the U.N. climate talks in Warsaw, into the international spotlight - and rightly so. Because as other delegates haggle over what their countries are willing or not willing to do, and renege on commitments, Saño's tearful plea in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan reminds us that people's lives are at stake - most of them among humanity's most vulnerable.

It's a plea he has made before at the U.N. climate-change talks - only a year ago in Qatar, as Typhoon Bopha claimed 1,900 lives in the Philippines. This time, Saño is fasting until a "meaningful" agreement has been reached.

But what is "meaningful"? Beyond an unlikely global agreement, what can be done?

For starters, countries don't have to wait to take action - look at California. Rather than wait for the federal government to act, the state has emerged a leader in terms of climate protection laws. Just last month, Gov. Jerry Brown forged a coalition with Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to form the Pacific Coast Climate and Energy Compact in order to have an even bigger impact on climate change.

Similarly, national and subnational governments around the globe have been finding ways to address climate change through regulations - not just because it's right, but because it's necessary. For low-income nations, volatile prices linked to fossil fuels pose even greater risks to food and energy security.

Finding ways to lower carbon emissions and increase domestic energy supply have been key goals for the Philippines as a way to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It is a global leader in generating geothermal energy, and was the first country in Southeast Asia to invest in large-scale solar and wind technologies. Efforts to support and implement use of renewable energy were increased with the passage of its Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

But it's not enough for the Philippines to lower its own emissions - which leads to the second point: adaptation.

Foreign aid for relief efforts has been impressive, including $25 million from the United Nations and $20 million from the United States alone. But funding toward relief is only part of what is desperately needed. Resources must be dedicated toward infrastructure, comprehensive land-use policies and putting plans in place to mobilize large numbers of people in times of crisis. These are all necessary, effective means of protection against disasters - and countries, such as the Philippines that need them the most, are the least financially equipped to put them in place.

In California, Reps. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, and Mike Honda, D-San Jose, introduced a joint resolution Wednesday urging Congress to continue assistance to typhoon victims in the Philippines. While much of the focus is on the imminent need for food, medicine and supplies, one line of the resolution should be highlighted: "continuing support for relief and reconstruction assistance provided by relief agencies and the international community." Reconstruction will require a "re-envisioning" of infrastructure - roads that are built to enable, not prevent, mobility and rescue efforts, while lowering carbon emissions; structures that serve as shelters rather than traps. Congress should pass the resolution.

This is the crux of Saño's plea: Get industrialized countries to provide financial support to developing nations for climate change adaptation. Traditionally, climate change has been viewed as a global issue. But countries that contribute the least to global warming often bear the brunt of the burden, while countries that contribute the most can afford to deal with its effects.

"What my country is going through as a result of this extreme climate event is madness," Saño said. "We can stop this madness right here in Warsaw."